Saturday was the culmination of a four-day robotics competition to test students in a fun, exciting and challenging way.

The competition was on as machines took over the Kentucky Expo Center.

Students competing in the Vex World Championships needed nerves of steel.

"This is truly the Olympics of robotics and the kids that we have in this building are the best of the best," Karthik Kanagasarapathy said.

About 850 teams took part in the tournament.

Which showed off the best in robotics, all built from the ground up by school students.

Elementary through college students from around the world were represented.

"They’re playing a variety of games, we have games for the younger kids and for the older ones. They're building robots to score points. It's kind of a sporting format. It's two robots vs. two robots, picking up objects and putting them in place to get points," Kanagasarapathy said.

Teams competed throughout the four day event.

Moving from rounds held in the expo's west, north and south wings, to the finals in Freedom Hall where crowds watched on the edge of their seats.

Team 6135 from Central Hardin High School was undefeated entering the competition, but lost one round from the finals.

Senior Liam Dawson said the program is fun and gives students a leg up in the work force.

"They need those mechanics who can think critically and mechanically to work on things that break. People and companies are willing to pay your tuition and college and books just to have you work for them," Dawson said.

As the clock hit zero in the final rounds, victorious teams took the stage and proud parents, like Ted and Etta Froisland, looked on.

Their son Isaac, a student from Utah, was on the winning high school team.

"We’re super excited for his future and will be a huge backdrop for that and will push him that much further as he goes," Etta Froisland said.

Last year's competition was held in Anaheim, California.

Officials announced that the competition will be taking place in Louisville again next year.